Psalm 88 5

Psalm 88:5 kjv

Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

Psalm 88:5 nkjv

Adrift among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And who are cut off from Your hand.

Psalm 88:5 niv

I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.

Psalm 88:5 esv

like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.

Psalm 88:5 nlt

They have left me among the dead,
and I lie like a corpse in a grave.
I am forgotten,
cut off from your care.

Psalm 88 verses

Psalm 88 5 Meaning

Psalm 88:5 expresses the psalmist's profound state of despair, identifying himself with the dead and those abandoned by God. He feels cast aside, equated with the deceased who lie in the grave, whom the living God no longer remembers in the sense of active care or intervention. To be "cut off from Your hand" signifies complete separation from God's protective power, redemptive work, and sustaining presence, portraying a spiritual and existential death while still physically alive.

Psalm 88 5 Context

Psalm 88 is uniquely bleak within the Psalter, often called "the darkest psalm" because it offers no customary turn from lament to hope or praise. It is attributed to Heman the Ezrahite, a Levite singer and wisdom figure (1 Kgs 4:31). The psalmist is engulfed in suffering—physically near death, isolated from loved ones, afflicted by terrors from God, and abandoned. He sees himself already counted among the dead, confined to Sheol's realm where God's active power and remembrance seem to cease. This context reflects the ancient Israelite understanding of Sheol as a shadowy underworld, a place of silent inactivity and separation from the vibrant life-giving presence of God enjoyed by the living. The psalm directly confronts the belief in God's constant, visible intervention, portraying an experience where God's hand seems entirely withdrawn, intensifying the theological anguish.

Psalm 88 5 Word analysis

• Free: The Hebrew word is חָפְשִׁי (chofshi, Strong's H2670). While literally meaning "free" or "at liberty" (e.g., Exod 21:5 where a servant chooses to remain free), here it's used ironically or in a desolate sense. It implies 'unrestricted' or 'abandoned' to death, "set loose" into the realm of the dead. It can mean free from the land of the living, abandoned by human connections and divine protection, or granted passage to Sheol.
• among the dead: The phrase implies being counted with them or dwelling with them. It speaks of the psalmist's profound isolation and proximity to the state of non-being in the eyes of God's active presence on earth.
• Like the slain: כְּמוֹ חֲלָלִים (k'mo chalalim). Chalalim (Strong's H2491) refers to those "pierced" or "mortally wounded," often describing battle casualties. It suggests a violent or untimely death, highlighting the psalmist's sense of being a casualty, perhaps of God's own wrath or judgment.
• who lie in the grave: שֹׁכְבֵי קָבֶר (shokh'vei qaver). Qaver (Strong's H6913) is the physical burial place, the tomb. "Lie" suggests stillness and permanence, emphasizing the finality and inertness associated with death in ancient Near Eastern thought, particularly concerning activity related to God.
• Whom You remember no more: אֲשֶׁר לֹא זְכַרְתָּם עוֹד (asher lo z'chartam 'od). The root זָכַר (zakhar, Strong's H2142) means "to remember." In biblical theology, God's remembrance is not mere mental recall but implies active intervention, care, and covenant faithfulness (e.g., Gen 8:1; Exod 2:24). Thus, "You remember no more" means God no longer acts on their behalf, they are beyond the sphere of His salvific, preserving activity for the living. It signifies complete divine abandonment, the deepest despair for a Hebrew.
• And who are cut off from Your hand: וְהֵמָּה נִגְזְרוּ מִיָּדֶךָ (v'hemmah nigz'ru miyyadekah). The verb גָּזַר (gazar, Strong's H1504) means "to cut off," "separate," or "sever." יָּדֶךָ (yadekah) is "Your hand," symbolizing God's power, authority, help, and protection (e.g., Deut 8:18; Psa 77:10). To be "cut off from Your hand" implies being completely separated from divine providence, sustenance, and redemptive activity. It is the ultimate experience of alienation and helplessness before God, an absolute lack of divine intervention.

Psalm 88 5 Bonus section

The intense darkness of Psalm 88, particularly this verse, raises profound theological questions about the nature of faith, suffering, and God's apparent hiddenness. Unlike most laments, it concludes without any resolution of praise or renewed trust, challenging simplistic views of divine presence. It highlights that even within inspired scripture, the experience of total spiritual abandonment is articulated honestly. The psalmist's identification with "the slain" (chalalim), traditionally referring to those violently or disgracefully killed, further emphasizes his abject state, devoid of honor or divine favor. This psalm acts as a voice for the utter desolation sometimes experienced in the journey of faith, revealing that a genuine relationship with God includes even the deepest cries of anguish and apparent forsakenness. Its inclusion in the Psalter testifies to the breadth of human experience admissible before God and points towards the later, ultimate "cutting off" experienced by Christ on the cross when He cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt 27:46), bearing the full weight of sin and its consequence of separation from God.

Psalm 88 5 Commentary

Psalm 88:5 encapsulates the heart of the psalmist's distress: a complete spiritual and existential isolation that mirrors the physical separation of death. He perceives himself already belonging to the realm of the dead, characterized by the absence of God's active engagement. The term "free among the dead" is chillingly ironic, suggesting that the only "freedom" he possesses is release from life's struggles into the silent, desolate company of those beyond hope. He is not just near death; he identifies with those whose earthly existence has ended and whose active relationship with the living God, as understood by the Israelites, is severed. The gravest blow is the feeling of being "remembered no more" by God, indicating a withdrawal of divine care and covenant faithfulness, leading to the crushing conclusion of being "cut off from Your hand"—severed from God's saving power and protective reach. This verse vividly portrays the absolute depth of human despair when faced with the apparent absence of God in the midst of overwhelming suffering.